Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfpinkai’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Petunia  plant named ‘Sunsurfpinkai’, characterized by its trailing plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching and flowering plant habit; long flowering period; medium-sized light pink to pinkish white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Petunia×hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNSURFPINKAI’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia,botanically known as Petunia×hybrida and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Sunsurfpinkai’.

The new Petunia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventors in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new Petunia cultivars with attractive foliage andflower coloration.

The new Petunia originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventors in August, 2003 in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan of thePetunia×hybrida cultivar Madness Rose Star, not patented, as the female,or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Petunia×hybridaidentified as code number P55h5, not patented, as the male, or pollen,parent. The new Petunia was discovered and selected by the Inventors asa single flowering plant within the progeny of the statedcross-pollination in a controlled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga,Japan.

Asexual reproduction of the new Petunia by terminal cuttings in acontrolled environment in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan since September,2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Petunia are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sunsurfpinkai has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature,daylength and light intensity without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Sunsurfpinkai’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Sunsurfpinkai’ as a new and distinctcultivar of Petunia:

-   -   1. Trailing plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching and flowering plant habit.    -   4. Long flowering period.    -   5. Medium-sized light pink to pinkish white-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, the cultivar Madness Rose Star. Plants of the new Petunia differfrom plants of the cultivar Madness Rose Star in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia are more trailing than and not as        upright as plants of the cultivar Madness Rose Star.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Madness Rose Star        differ in flower color as plants of the cultivar Madness Rose        Star have pink-colored flowers with a central white-colored star        pattern.

Plants of the new Petunia can be compared to plants of the male parentselection. Plants of the new Petunia differ from plants of the maleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia have larger flowers than plants of        the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia and the male parent selection        differ in flower color as plants of the male parent selection        have white-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Petunia can also be compared to plants of the cultivarSunsurfmicshipho, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,594. Inside-by-side comparisons conducted in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, plantsof the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho differed in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Petunia were more trailing than plants of        the cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho.    -   2. Plants of the new Petunia were smaller than plants of the        cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho.    -   3. Plants of the new Petunia had larger flowers than plants of        the cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho.    -   4. Plants of the new Petunia and the cultivar Sunsurfmicshipho        differed slightly in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Petunia, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Petunia.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a top perspective viewof a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunsurfpinkai’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet is a close-up view of typicalflowers of ‘Sunsurfpinkai’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown in Higashiomi, Shiga, Japan, undercommercial practice during the spring in an outdoor nursery daytemperatures averaging 22° C. and night temperatures averaging 12° C.Plants had been growing for about four months when the photographs anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Petunia×hybrida cultivar Sunsurfpinkai.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.— Petunia×hybrida cultivar Madness            Rose Star, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Petunia×hybrida identified as code number P55h5, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About one week at temperatures of            20° C. to 25° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About three weeks at            temperatures of 20° C. to 25° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, fleshy; light brown in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Trailing plant habit. Freely            branching habit with about 15 lateral branches developing            per plant; pinching enhances lateral branch development.            Vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 12.5 cm.        -   Plant diameter.—About 29.5 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 17 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2.5 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1 cm.        -   Strength.—Strong, flexible.        -   Aspect.—Decumbent.        -   Texture.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Close to 137C.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Before flowering, alternate, simple; after            flowering, opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 2.6 cm.        -   Width.—About 2 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic.        -   Apex.—Broadly acute.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate; reticulate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface:            Close to 137C; venation, close to 145B. Developing and fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 146B; venation,            close to 145B.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 4.4 mm. Diameter: About 2.2 mm.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent.            Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 145B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Single salverform flowers            arising from leaf axils. Freely flowering habit with usually            about 18 open flowers per plant. Flowers face upright or            outwardly. Flowers not fragrant.

Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Petunia initiate and developflowers about three to four weeks after planting. Long flowering period;flowering commences naturally during the spring and plants flowercontinuously throughout the summer until late autumn in Japan. Flowersnot persistent.

-   -   -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about seven to ten            days on the plant.        -   Flower diameter.—About 5.1 cm.        -   Flower length (depth).—About 4.6 cm.        -   Throat diameter.—About 1 cm.        -   Tube diameter, base.—About 2.7 mm.        -   Tube length.—About 2.4 cm.        -   Flower bud.—Shape: Cylindrical. Length: About 3.5 cm.            Diameter: About 7.5 mm. Color: Close to 144C; towards the            apex, close to 84C.        -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Five petals fused at the base and            opening into a flared trumpet. Petal length from throat:            About 2.3 cm. Petal width: About 2.2 cm. Petal shape:            Spatulate. Petal apex: Cuspidate. Petal margin: Entire;            slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Throat texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Tube texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Petal, when            opening, upper surface: Close to 75B. Petal, when opening,            lower surface: Close to 76C. Petal, fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 76C; venation, close to 72A; color            becoming closer to 69D with development. Petal, fully            opened, lower surface: Close to 76D; venation, close to            N144A. Throat: Close to 155B; venation, close to 152B. Tube:            Close to 155B; venation, close to N144A.        -   Calyx.—Arrangement: One star-shaped calyx tube with five            sepals fused at the base per flower. Sepal length: About            9 mm. Sepal width: About 2.9 mm. Sepal shape: Narrowly            elliptic. Sepal apex: Obtuse. Sepal margin: Entire. Sepal            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper            and lower surfaces: Close to 143B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.6 mm.            Strength: Strong. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close            to 137C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity/arrangement: Five per            flower. Stamen length: About 1.6 cm to 1.8 cm. Anther shape:            Ellipsoidal. Anther size: About 1.9 mm by 2.5 mm. Anther            color: Close to 155D. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color:            Close to 155D. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil            length: About 1.7 cm. Style color: Close to 144C. Stigma            shape: Transversely ellipsoidal. Stigma color: Close to            144B. Ovary color: Close to 143C.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been            observed on plants of the new Petunia.

-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Petunia have been observed to    have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C.

-   Pathogen/pest resistance: Plants of the new Petunia have not been    observed to be resistant to pests and pathogens common to Petunia.

1. A new and distinct Petunia plant named ‘Sunsurfpinkai’ as illustratedand described.